Tag: NNPP

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has denied writing any letter to the  Senate, accusing the Federal Government of laying siege on Kano State over the Emirate  leadership tussle.

This is contained in a statement by the NNPP National Chairman, Dr Agbo Major on Friday in Lagos.

The party is reacting to a letter written to the Senate, through its President, Godswill Akpabio by Dr Ajuji Ahmed on June 24.

The letter was titled: “Need for NNPP Federal Lawmakers to Make Urgent and Concerted Efforts to Immediately End the Siege on Kano State by Agents of the Federal Government.”

According to Major, the letter written by Ahmed was without the mandate and authorisation of the leadership of the NNPP.

” Dr Boniface Aniebonam is the founder of the NNPP, holder of the registration certificate of the party,  chairman,  board of trustees and a life member of the board.

“While Dr Agbo Major is the national chairman and Mr  Oginni Sunday is the national secretary, “he said.

“The NNPP stand remains that the Kano Emirate leadership crisis is an internal matter of Kano state indigenes under culture and tradition.

“Political party involvement under the circumstances is wrong. The principle of our party remains focused on peace of the society, development and wellbeing of the greater numbers of Nigerians.

“That the matter is currently before competent courts of law and jurisdiction and any interference by the National Assembly shall further complicate the situation.

“The avoidable tension generated as a result of the actions of the state government in Kano, necessitates the need for vigilance and enhanced security in the state to avoid breakdown of law and order,”he said.

“It is trite for Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf, Sen  Rabiu Kwankwaso and Elder Buba Galadima to understand that every court order must be obeyed first before complaint.

Read Also: Another candidate emerges in Ondo NNPP

“The rules of engagement to vacate orders of the court are very clear and unambiguous.”

He said that it was necessary for the national assembly to align with the position that would guarantee protection of lives and property of citizens in Kano state.

” ⁠The NNPP as a registered political party in Nigeria is not interested in engaging in any controversy with the Federal Government and its agencies,  particularly security institutions.

“We should be responsible partners and law abiding citizens for the peace and development of Nigeria. The letter and any form of representation by the said Ahmed should be disregarded.

“In an ideal situation, it shall be the responsibility of the NNPP lawmakers to raise the matter on the floor of the national assembly.

“Like we said, the matter is in court and they should go to court, after all, the Kano state governor is in power today via the court.

“NNPP has no role to play because Yusuf is the governor of Kano state and not the party,”he said.

Major urged Elders and the elite of Kano state to come together and resolve the internal Chieftaincy crises.

“We wish to state that Yusuf should concentrate in providing quality leadership in Kano and distance himself from all  avoidable tensions in the state.

“We also appeal to the senate to disregard the illegal and inappropriate letter of the expelled members of the NNPP,” he said.

(NAN)

Chieftain of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Olufemi Ajadi, has urged lawmakers to be sensitive to workers’ demand on the new minimum wage.

He said National Assembly members should be in a position to support workers on a realistic minimum wage.

Ajadi said civil servants are the engine room of government, adding they are responsible for revenue generation.

In a statement yesterday, Ajadi, Ogun State governorship candidate of NNPP in 2023, said delay in agreeing on a new minimum wage was causing hardship.

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He said he was shocked governors, lawmakers, with huge salaries and allowances, are saying they cannot afford N62,000 salary proposed by Federal Government, but unaccepted by Labour.

“Our lawmakers should realise workers buy at same market with lawmakers and the rich.’’

“I think federal legislators, in passing the new minimum wage, should be sincere with the economic reality in the country where N62,000 cannot even buy a basket of tomato and a bag of beans, which sells at about N150,000,” Ajadi said.

There is confusion among members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ondo state as another governorship candidate has emerged.

The new candidate and running mate, who have flooded Akure streets with posters, are Akintan Michael and Mrs. Kemi Fasua.

The party has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing Akintan of impersonating the governorship candidate of the party, Hon. Gbenga Edema, and his running mate, Rotimi Adeyemi, ahead of the November polls.

In a letter addressed to the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, the NNPP called for legal action against the ‘impersonators.’

The NNPP said the action of Akintan breached the Electoral Act.

In the letter signed by NNPP’s National Chairman, Ajuji Ahmed, and the National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku, the party said the electoral body was notified about the emergence of Edema and Adeyemi as its standard-bearers during the substituted primary held on June 5, 2024, after the withdrawal of Oluwatosin Ayeni and Abigail Omoyugbo for “personal reasons.”

The letter said the names and credentials of both Edema and Adeyemi were published by INEC as the party’s candidates.

The party said: “We wish to bring to the attention of your good office a case of impersonation of the NNPP Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates in the forthcoming off-cycle on November 16, 2024.

Read Also: Ondo 2024: 1,000 APC members defect to PDP in Akure

“The culprits are Engr. Akintan Michael and Mrs. Kemi Fasua, purporting to be the NNPP Governorship Candidate and Deputy Governorship Candidate of the NNPP, both of whom are unknown to the party.

“You would recall, sir that we informed your good office of our Ondo State Governorship Primary fixed for Friday, April 26, 2024, via a letter NNPP/HQRTS/INEC/024/23 dated March 7, 2024.

“At the said primary, monitored by officials of the INEC, Mr. Ayeni Oluwatosin Israel emerged as the NNPP governorship candidate, and he later picked Mrs. Omoyugbo Abike Abigail as his running mate, and the two names were published by INEC.

“However, due to what they called “personal reasons,” the two of them withdrew their candidature, which prompted the NNPP to schedule a fresh primary to elect a replacement.

“The fresh primary was monitored by INEC officials, where Barr. Gbenga Omogbemi Edema emerged as the new governorship candidate of the NNPP, and he later picked Barr. Rotimi Emmanuel Adeyemi as his running mate.

“These two names were later published by your good office in the Final List of Governorship Candidates and their Deputies on Friday, June 14, 2024.

“However, to our chagrin, our attention was recently drawn to one Engr. Akintan Michael pasting posters, all claiming to be the governorship candidate of our party in Ondo State, and one Mrs. Kemi Fasua as his running mate.

“Mr. Chairman, sir, without doubt, this is a clear case of impersonation, as there was never a time the said Engr. Akintan Michael purchased our Letter of Intent/Nomination form not to talk of contesting in our primary.

“We therefore wish to submit that this is a clear case of impersonation and a breach of the electoral law. It is our belief that such an act should not be handled with kid gloves, and it deserves serious attention and action by the INEC to serve as a deterrent to those whose objective is to truncate the forthcoming governorship election and indeed the peace of Ondo State.

“We hope the INEC, under your able leadership, will subject these two Engr. Akintan Makinde and Mrs. Kemi Fasua to the full process of law, in line with the Electoral Act and other statutory laws of the land.”

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), Amb. Olufemi Ajadi, has tackled the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) over  rejection of Federal Government proposed N60,000 minimum wage.

He said the Governors should henceforth be paid based on their qualifications as contained in Civil Service Salary Scale.

A statement by Ajadi described rejection of the proposed N60,000 minimum wage by Governors as insensitive and wickedness.

According him, the Governor were too hasty in their rejection of N60,000 minimum wage because the Labour Unions have not even agreed to the proposal.

The 36 Governors who make up the NGF has said that the ₦60,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government is not sustainable and cannot fly.

A statement by the Acting Director of Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, Halima Ahmed, noted that if allowed to fly, many States will use all their monthly allocations from the federation account to pay workers’ salaries.

The Governors appealed to members of the tripartite committee to agree on a minimum wage that would be fair and sustainable.

However, Ajadi said he was shocked at the reaction of the Governors to the N60,000 proposal.

Read Also: Edo: NNPP suspends candidate

He contended that one of their members, Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki, on his own volition has started paying N70,000 monthly minimum wage in his State, wondering why other 35 Governors are so self – centred and insensitive to the workers.

He said: “I am totally shocked that the Governors could come out to say that they cannot pay the proposed N60,000 minimum Wage.  That pronouncement by the governors showed that they are insensitive to the plight workers and the masses . I see it as a wicked pronouncement.

“In the first instance, they were too hasty in their reactions, as the Labour Unions have not even agreed to the proposal.

“If the Governors are serving the people as they usually claim, they should cut their own salaries to N60,000 too.

“I will also suggest that the governors should be paid according to their qualifications. They should realise that the workers attend the same Market their wives and children attended.

“Since the removal of subsidy, the Federal Government has jacked up the monthly allocation to the states. What are the governors doing with the money. Part of the money should be used to pay the new minimum wage when agreed by the tripartite committee.

“President Bola Tinubu has severally warned the Governors to make use of the increase in the monthly allocations to better the lots of their citizens. So one is shocked that the governors have the effrontery to reject a merely N60,000 proposal.

“The question we need to even ask is, what can N60,000 buy in the present state of economy. It can’t feed a worker for two weeks, talk less of their dependants.

“When finally there is an agreement on the new minimum wage, I urge the governors to be sincere and ensure the prompt payment in their States”.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said yesterday that no amount of deceit, false accusations, misrepresentation and mudslinging would stop it from performing its role as a viable opposition party with the welfare of the masses at heart.

The party, in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson said it was committed to selfless service to the Nigerian people.

Johnson dismissed claims of ownership of the party by the founding Chairman and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Boniface Aniebonam, saying the party was not owned by any single individual as that would go against the laws of the land.

Aniebonam who registered the NNPP in 2001 was expelled from the party in 2023 for alleged anti-party activities.

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Johnson said in the statement that his expulsion, along with some of his co-travellers, was due to overbearing tendencies which were inimical to the overall interest and growth of the party, adding that the expulsion followed due democratic process.

He alleged that since the expulsion, “Aniebonam and others have instituted a number of cases to challenge the party’s decisions particularly on their expulsion. They have also asked the court to compel INEC to recognize them as “the authentic” NNPP. 

“However, it is on record that all such legal actions have failed, and the various courts have decided in favour of the NNPP as a political party, under the able leadership of Dr Ahmed Aduji.

“Expectedly, the logical step for Aniebonam and his co-travelers would have been to appeal the court judgements against them but rather they have resorted to utter blackmail, deceit and outright false misrepresentation of the issues.

“The party has to put the record straight so that the general public can duly realize and know that contrary to such sensational media orchestrations in recent times by Aniebonam and Co, they are merely misleading the public by injecting sentiments into a pure matter of law and constitutionalism.

“Now, Aniebonam is claiming sole ownership of the party but this is not true and neither is it a legal possibility. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is clear on party ownership and membership;  a party cannot be owned by an individual, but a collective of individuals.

“To that extent, his claim of sole ownership of the NNPP and his arbitrary dispositions even to the extent of singlehandedly purporting to override decisions of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee  (NEC) while he was still in the party, is a misnomer and part of the recurring issues that led to his expulsion by a well constituted disciplinary committee, NWC and NEC as stipulated in the party’s constitution.

“NNPP wishes to let the public know that Aniebonam’s expulsion and that of his co travellers, together with issues bordering on the legality of the organs and actions of the party, have been tested and validated in the law courts.”

No fewer than 1,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state have defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

NNPP is the ruling party in Kano state and has majority of seats in the House of Assembly.

The state deputy governor, Aminu Gwarzo, officially received the defectors on behalf of Governor Abba Yusuf at Government House, Kano, on Saturday, April 20.

Gwarzo decorated each of the defector the Kwankwasiyya red cap.

A statement by the deputy governor’s chief press secretary, Ibrahim Garba, said the defectors hail from Shanono and Bagwai local government areas of the state.

The release described the defection to NNPP as a significant shift, stating that “Gwarzo is delighted welcoming the decampees.”

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The deputy governor emphasised that the NNPP prioritises unity and all members will be treated equally.

Gwarzo reiterated the administration’s commitment to implementing programmes that benefit all of Kano State and urged continued support from residents.

Leader of the defectors, Haruna Abbas, said they were joining NNPP because of Governor Abba’s leadership qualities and style of governance.

He expressed regret for their past APC affiliation and pledged their dedication to working with the NNPP for Kano’s betterment.

Kano state chairman of NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, welcomed the new members and assured their involvement in party activities. 

He called on more members of the opposition parties, to join the NNPP for the state’s advancement, while urging support for the government’s programmes and policies.